Helping Your Picky Eater
Many parents face the challenge of feeding picky eaters, whose underlying sensory processing issues often complicate meal times. Understanding these issues and adopting effective strategies can help parents successfully expand their children's eating palettes.
Understanding Sensory Processing and Picky Eating
Sensory processing refers to how the nervous system interprets information from the senses. For some children, the sensory experience of eating—taste, smell, texture, and even color—can be overwhelming, leading to picky eating behaviors. Sensory processing issues can cause children to have strong aversions to certain types of food, preferring only foods with specific textures or flavors.
Recognizing Signs of Sensory Processing Issues
Parents should be vigilant for signs indicating broader sensory processing issues beyond picky eating. These can include an unusual sensitivity or indifference to sensory stimuli in their environment, such as bright lights, loud sounds, or specific textures. Children might also display a strong preference or aversion to movement, like being hesitant to swing or climb, which could suggest difficulties with their vestibular sense, which is responsible for balance and spatial orientation.
Strategies for Supporting Picky Eaters with Sensory Sensitivities
Sensory Play and Food Exploration
Integrating sensory play into daily routines can help children become more comfortable with the sensory aspects of food. Activities like playing in sensory bins, using vibrating toothbrushes, and participating in non-pressured food play can gradually desensitize children to textures, aromas, and tastes they initially reject.
Food Play Outside of Mealtime
Conducting food play outside of mealtimes can remove the pressure to eat, making it a fun exploration activity. This involves using the foods you want your child to become familiar with playfully and engagingly without expecting your child to eat them. Over time, this approach can lead to increased curiosity and willingness to try new foods.
Gradual Introduction and Modification of Foods
Start with textures your child prefers and make slight modifications to introduce new sensory experiences. This could mean altering familiar foods' shape, color, or pairing to gently expand your child's food repertoire. Cooking together and involving children in meal preparation can also serve as a form of sensory play, increasing their exposure to and interest in new foods in a low-stress environment.
Establishing a Sensory Diet
For children with pronounced sensory sensitivities, establishing a sensory diet—tailored activities designed to help them better process sensory information—can be beneficial. This approach might include specific exercises, routines, or games that provide the sensory input your child needs to regulate their responses to sensory stimuli more effectively. Work with an occupational therapist to design and tailor an appropriate sensory diet.
When to Seek Professional Help
If picky eating persists and significantly impacts your child's nutritional intake or family life, it may be time to seek professional help. A pediatric occupational therapist specializing in sensory processing and feeding issues can offer personalized strategies and interventions. They can work with your family to develop a comprehensive plan that addresses sensory sensitivities and nutritional needs.
Understanding the connection between sensory processing and picky eating is the first step toward helping children expand their diets and develop healthier eating habits. By recognizing the signs of sensory processing issues, employing strategies like sensory play and food exploration, and seeking professional guidance, parents can support their children in overcoming picky eating challenges related to sensory sensitivities. With patience, creativity, and a consistent approach, it's possible to make mealtimes more enjoyable and nutritionally balanced for everyone involved.
Kimberley Arnett-DeSimone, a career pediatric occupational therapist in Huntersville, North Carolina, authored this post.
